Card forming apparatus



Nov. 11; 1947. o. SANDBERG CARD FORMING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 21, 1943 I NVENT.0R 06' 00,7" Sazzd 9 2 Nov 11, 1947. o. SANDBERG I CARDv FORMING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 21, 1943 W a Q m m Nov. 1 1, 1947. o. SANDBERG CARD FORMING APPARATUS Filed Spt. 21, 1945 4 Shets-Sheets INVENTOR.

Nov. 11, 1947. o. SANDBERG- CARD FORMING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 21, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

WWW W Oscarfiwuibery,

Patented Nov. 11, 1947 CARD FORMING APPARATUS Oscar Sandberg, Defiance, Ohio, assignor to Lynch Package Machinery Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 21, 1943, Serial No. 503,178

13 Claims.

. open top box shape as desired.

Another object is to provide card forming mechanism which is operative to remove individual cards from a card hopper and position them on a pair of supports Where they may be engaged by a plunger that lowers them into a channel shaped trough to form the cards channel shape.

A further object is to provide means for removing the cards from the channel member and bending the sides toward each other at an angle so that they will remain in channel shape to receive articles such as candy bars or the like.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple means for then bending the ends of the card upwardly to form a substantial five sided box for the candy bar after which it may be wrapped in a wrapping mechanism of the machine.

With these and other objects in View, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my card forming mechanism whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation showing my card forming mechanism applied to a wrapping machine of the kind shown particularly in the secnd above mentioned patent.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1 taken from the right side of the figure.

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 6- of Figure 3.

Figure 4a is a sectional view on the line la-ta of Figure 4.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a Vertical sectional view on the line 65 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a similar sectional view showing the parts in a different position.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the card formed in my forming apparatus, and

Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line S9 of Figure 8 showing the card in one of the positions it assumes during the forming operation.

On the accompanying drawings I have used the reference character F to indicate generally a frame. On the frame F is a supporting bracket 59 on which is mounted a motor M for operating the wrapping machine and my card forming mechanism. The motor M drives a shaft l2'by.

means of pulleys l6 and I4, and a V-belt I8. I

The shaft I2 is operatively connected with a main shaft 20 by means of a pinion 22 and a gear 24 meshing with each other. On the main shaft 26 is a crank arm 26 carrying a crank pin 28. The crank pin 28 reciprocates in a slot 3!) of an arm 32 pivoted to the frame Fat 3 1. A rock shaft 36 is journaled in the frame F and has an operating arm 38. A link 46 has its ends pivoted to the arms 32 and 38 whereby oscillations of the arm 32 are imparted to the rock shaft.

The wrapping machine includes a pocket conveyor indicated generally at P consisting of a chain ll and a plurality of channel shape pockets 39. The chain is trained around suitable sprockets, one of which is shown at 43 and is driven in an intermittent manner as shown in my above mentioned Patent No. 2,283,097 so that a pocket of the conveyor arrives, and stops momentarily, at a predetermined position for each oscillation of the rock shaft 36.

My card forming mechanism will now be described. It includes a supporting plate 42, supported by brackets 44 and 46 on stationary supporting rods 48 extending rigidly from the frame F. On the supporting plate 42 is a bracket 59 that supports a hopper H for cards C. The hopper H comprises a pair of channel shaped members 52, as perhaps best shown in Figure 2, adapted to receive a stack of the cards C. The stack of cards is fed properly by a weight 54 having a handle 55 for convenience of removing it when replenishing the supply of cards. I

The cards C as shown in Figure 7 may be shaped so as to have a bottom wall 58, a pair of sides 69 and a pair of ends 62. The divisions between the bottom wall, sides and ends consists of scored lines 64 which facilitate bending the sides and ends upwardly as will hereinafter appear. As a bottom for the hopper H, I provide a reciprocating plate 66 carried by brackets 68 and 68, a spacer block 10 being interposed between the two as shown in Figure 3. The plate 56 has a shoulder thereon provided by a hardened plate 72 counter-sunk in the plate 66.

The bracket 68 is secured to a rod M which is slidable in bearings l6, l8 and 88 of the brack- 3 ets 50, 46 and 44 respectively. As shown in Figure 1 there is a further bearing 19 formed on a bracket BI which also is supported on the plate 42.

For reciprocating the rods I4, I provide a collar 82 thereon to which is pivoted one end of a link 84. The other end of the link is pivoted to the upper end of the arm 33B and the arm 895 is see cured to the rock shaft 36.

On the bracket 46 I mount a channel member 88 which as shown in Figure 5 has a pair of sides 90. The sides 99 have at their upper edges a pair of supporting bars 92 which as shown at 94 overhang the sides 90 to a slight degree. A stop plate 94 is secured to the upper edges of the channel member sides 98 and stop fingers 96 extend upwardly therefrom.

Mounted on the bracket 46 there is also a vertical guide bar 98. Reciprocable thereon is a cross-head I08 and reciprocations are imparted t it bra ink "32* Th li k 9 is p oted to one arm of a hell crank I94, the other arm of whi h i psrs ivsl s n stes b a n M1 an arm l mount d 9 t e oc sha t The bell crank 194 is pivoted on a shaft Hi8 p ed b a sress ba ills of t e frame F, d

a suppo tin l n 9? aim u h r ut from the frame. The arm -I-I. B is rigidly mounted on one of the stationary rods 48. Projecting from th ro s-hee 141. i a lamp bracket H2 carry-- ins a ca an .4- ar-l e p un r 5 is moun e i he lower end o he ro 1 Pivotally mounted in a slot H8 of the spacer l ck 9 s a pr lling fi ge 12s, the pi t o wh ch is lust at s 53.? e i ure 4). The forward end of the propelling finger I26 is nqlohed at I24 for engaging the card C after it has been formed channel shape in the trough B8. A spring I26 biases the propelling finger downw rd y at i s e r en s th t its fo ward end is the ro er Pos t on or ngag n the card urin ec r ssstions of th fi s The sprin s ust strong enou h o c nt balance me forward d i he ling r so hat i remains in ppr imately the posit on shown in Figure 4. he notch I24 then guides the forward end of the fina into. al gnme h the rd.

Along the sides 90 of the trough 88 I provide a. pair of twisted plates I28 adapted to bend the sides 60 of the card C to the position shown in igu e 9 for a u ose Which will hereinafte app a The wrapping machine has a conveyor B (see Figure 3) adapted to deliver articles A such as candy bars to the Pocket conveyor C, Ahead of this conveyor, or upwardly asviewedin, Figure 3, s a pair of sid la e ill, and ust rearwardly of tl feseside plates is a pair of twisted plates I32 for'for-ming the end portions. 6;? of the card C as will hereinafter he described. The twisted plates I32 are stationarily supported as. by bars 134 extend n r m coll rs 1.3.6, on the, stationary rods 48;

Practical operation In the operation of'my card forming apparatus, the cards '6, after beingstacked in the hopper H, are red one at a time to the wrapping machine and formed by the card forming mechanism into a five sided or open top box before they arewrapped along with the articles contained inthem. The two sides are formed'before the article is positioned onthe card and the two ends. are formed thereafter. Each reciprocation of thelrod. I4, results in, the shoulder 1,2. of: the reoiprocating platefifi: engaging title rearmostedge;

4 of the lowermost card C and feeding it from the hopper through a slot I 38 (see Figure 4) in the front end thereof to the position shown at C.

During this movement the card passes under a non-return spring I40 which is slidably mounted in a slot M2 of a plate I44 and biased downwardly b a spring Hi5. After the rear edge o he a d s es e o wa d e d cf the sp i M8, the spring snaps down back of the card so as to keep it from returning with the bar 66 when it is retracted. The card is then confined betw fin the forward edge of the spring I46 and the stop fingers 95.

After the 'bar is retracted, the plunger IIS is lowered from the position of Figure 6 to the position of Figure '5, and in so doing it bends the card in position (3' to the position indicated at C in Figure 7. This forming operation bends the sides 68 upwardly relative to the bottom 53 and gives the card a channel shape in crosssection. The sides 63 spring under the overhangins por ions -8 of the supporting bars .92 due to the resiliency or the cardboard, and the card at position C" is thus retained against retraction when the plunger 5 is moved upwardly.

After the plunger is out of th Way, then the next reciprocation of the bar 65 which brings a second card into position C .efiects forward movement of the finger I25! causing its notched end I24 to engage the rear edge of the card in posi ion C" and move it to a third position indicated at C in Figure 4. In doing so, the sides 69 of the card are bent to an acute angle relative to the bottom 58 by the twisted plates I28 as shown in Figure .9 so that the card will remain in channel shape instead of tending to flatten out and pop-up with respect to the pockets 39 of the pocket conveyor before a candy bar A is placed on the card.

The first card formed channel shaped leaves the twisted plates I28 to pass under a top plate I 48 made of transparent material so that the operator can observe whether or not the card has been properly formed as it passes into a, pocket of the pocket conveyor (position 0''). It is stopped in that position by an angle shaped stop I49. The plate I48 is supported on posts I59 extending upwardly from a stationary plate 152 mounted on the bracket 44.

The pocket. conveyor is of course in stopped position while the card is assuming the position 6 and then advances the distance of one pocket so that at its next position the conveyor B may place the article A therein. After the article is in position then the pocket conveyor advances another pocket and causes the card ends 62 to engage the twisted plates I32 as shown in Figure 3 where the beginning of their bend upwardly occurs.

The next forward movement of the pocket conveyor causes the ends 62 to completely raise and they then are-engaged by the side plates I30 which keep them raised until they reach the'folding way where the wrappers are folded around them as shown in my prior patents.

The timing of the various operations, of course, are such that one complete cycle advances the pocket conveyor the distance of one pocket, and the card folding apparatus acts upon two cards at the same time bringing one into the trough 88 while moving the previous card from the trough into the pocket conveyor. The article conveyor is also properly timed to discharge an article into the pocket conveyor during each cycle of operations so that a completely formed card and an article thereon arrive at the wrapping positioneach time a wrapper goes into position for being wrapped about the card and article.

The mechanism is comparatively simple and accomplishes the desired result of forming the card box-like with an open top so as to enclose the article with the exception of its top. Obviously the cards may be formed to merely channel shape if desired by omitting the end fiaps 62, and the twisted plates I32 would then perform no function. Thus, either a three sided or channel shaped card may be provided or a five sided one if desired. The hopper H, of course, would be modified to fit the different shape of card or replaced by a diiferent hopper as the hopper is readily removable.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my card forming apparatus without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a card forming apparatus, a hopper for a stack of cards, a trough, means for engaging the lowermost card in such hopper and moving it into said trough, said means being thereafter retracted, means for engaging the rear edge of the card to prevent its retraction into the hopper when said first means is retracted, said trough having a pair of spaced supports and a. channel member below said supports, said card being moved by said first means onto said supports, a 1

reciprocating plunger adapted to engage said card between said supports and depress it into said channel member whereby the card is folded to channel shape, means shaped to engage said card after it is formed channel shape and moving it longitudinally into a pocket of a pocket conveyor and means for maintaining the card in channel shape as it is moved into said pocket.

2. In a card forming apparatus of the character disclosed, a hopper for a stack of cards, a

trough, means for engaging the lowermost card in such hopper and moving it into said trough, said trough having a pair of spaced supports and a channel member below said supports, the marginal edges of said supports overhanging the sides of said channel member, said card being moved by said first means onto said supports, a plunger adapted to engage said card between said supports and depress it into said channel member whereby the card is folded to channel shape, and

its flanges spring under said overhanging marginal edges of said supports, means for retracting said plunger, and means for engaging said card after it is formed channel shape and moving it into a pocket of a pocket conveyor.

3. A card forming apparatus comprising a hopper for a stack of cards, a trough. means for engaging the lowermost card in such hopper and moving it into said trough, said means being thereafter retracted, means for engaging the rear edge of the card to prevent its retraction into the hopper when said first means is retracted, a reciprocating plunger adapted to engage said card and depress it into said trough whereby the card is formed channel shape therein, means shaped to engage said card after it is formed channel shape and moving it into a pocket of a pocket conveyor and means for maintaining the card in channel shape as it is moved into said pocket.

4. In a card forming apparatus, a hopper for a stack of cards, a trough, means for engaging the lowermost card in such hopper and moving it into said trough, a plunger adapted to engage said card and depress it into said trough whereby the card is formed channel shape therein, means for retracting said plunger, said trough having marginal edge portions overhanging the edges of the flanges of the channel shaped card to prevent return of said card with said plunger as it is retracted from said trough, and means engaging said card after it is formed channel shape and moving it into a pocket of a pocket conveyor.

5. In a card forming apparatus, a hopper for a stack of cards, a trough, means for engaging the lowermost card in such hopper and moving it into said trough, a reciprocating plunger adapted to engage said card and depress it into said trough whereby the card is folded to channel shape, means for engaging said card after it is formed channel shape and moving it into a pocket of a pocket conveyor, and side plates twisted toward each other and engaging the sides of the channel shaped card to bend such sides inwardly at an acute angle relative to the body of the card as the card is moved from said trough to the pocket of the conveyor.

6. A card forming apparatus comprising a hopper for a stack of cards, a trough, means for engaging the lowermost card in such hopper and moving it into said trough, said means being thereafter retracted, means for engaging the rear edge of the card to prevent its retraction into the hopper when said first means is retracted, said last means comprising a leaf spring pressing on top of the card as it is moved from said hopper and said first means moving the card past the end of said spring before retraction of the first means, said trough having a pair of spaced supports and a channel member below said supports, said card being moved by said first means onto said supports, a plunger adapted to engage said card between said supports and depress it into said channel member whereby the card is folded to channel shape, said supports overhan ing the sides of said channel member to prevent retraction of the card with the plunger as it is retracted, means for engaging said card after it is formed channel shape and moving it into a pocket of a pocket conveyor, and side plates twisted toward each other and engaging the sides of the channel shaped card to bend such sides inwardly at an acute angle as the card is moved from the channel member.

'7. In a card forming apparatus, a hopper for a stack of cards, a trough, means for engaging the lowermost card in such hopper and moving it into said trough, said means being thereafter retracted, means for engaging the rear edge of the card to prevent its retraction into the hopper when said first means is retracted, said trough having a pair of spaced supports and a channel member below said supports, said card being moved by said first means onto said supports, a reciprocating plunger adapted to engage said card between said supports and depress it into said channel member whereby the card is folded to channel shape, means for engaging said card after it is formed channel shape and moving it into a pocket of a pocket conveyor while in such shape, and side plates twisted toward each other and engaging the sides of the channel shaped card to bend such sides inwardly at an angle relative to the body of the card as the card is moved from the channel member to the pocket conveyor.

8; In an apparatus oft-he character described, a trough, means for depositing cards one at a time therein, a plunger adapted to n age the card between the sides of and depress it into said trough whereby the card is folded to. channel shape, means for engaging said card after it is formed and moving it into a channel shaped pocket of a pocket conveyor, and side plates twisted toward each other and engaging the sides of the channel shaped card to bend such sides inwardly so they will enter between the sides of said channel shaped pocket without catching thereon.

9, In a. card forming apparatus, a. hopper for a stack of cards; a trough comprising a pair of spaced supports and a channel member below said supports, means forengaging the lowermost cardv in said hopper and moving it onto said supports, a reciprocating plunger adapted to engage said card between. said supports and depress it into said channel member.- whereby the card is folded to channel shape, means for engaging said card after it is formed channel shape and moving it into a pocket conveyor, and side plates twisted toward each other and engaging the sides of the channel shaped card to bend such sides inwardly to a position from which they spring to the desired channel shape when in the pocket of said pocket conveyor.

10. In a. card forming ap aratus, a hopper for a stack, of cards, a trough, means for engaging a card and moving it from said: hopper and into said trough, a plunger adapted to engage said card and depress it into said trough whereby the card is folded to channel shape, means for engaging said card after it is formed channel shape and moving it into a pocket of a pocket conveyor, means for depositing articles in the channel shaped cards, said pocket conveyor intermittently moving said cards and the articles therein in a lateral direction and twisted end plates adapted to simultaneously engage both ends of the card as it is so moved to bend said ends upwardly and thereby form the card into a five sided container for the article.

11. In a card forming apparatus, a hopper for a stack of cards, a trough, means for engaging the lowermost card in such hopper and moving it into said trough, a reciprocating plunger adapted to engage said card and depress it into said trough whereby the card is folded to channel shape, means for engaging said card after it is formed channel shape and moving it into a pocket of a pocket conveyor, twisted plates to bend the flanges of the channel shaped card inwardly at an acute angle as the card is so moved, means for depositing articles in said channel shaped cards after they leave said twisted plates, said pocket moving said cards and the articles therein in a lateral direction and second twisted plates. adapted to engage theends of the card as it is so moved to bend said ends upwardly and thereby form the card into a five sided container for the article.

12. In a card forming apparatus, a hopper for a stack of cards, means for forming the cards channel shape, means for engaging said card after it is formed channel shape and moving it into a pocket of a pocket conveyor, means for sliding articles endwise into said channel shaped cards, said pocket conveyor moving said cards and articles therein in a lateral direction, and a pair of twisted plates adapted to engage the ends of" the card simultaneously as it is so moved to bend said ends upwardly and thereby form the card into a five sided container for the article.

13. In an apparatus of the class described, a hopper for a stack of cards, a trough, means for engaging a card in said hopper and moving it into said trough, means for engaging the rear edge of the card to prevent its retraction into the hopper when said first means is retracted, said last means comprising a leaf spring engaging the top of the card as it is moved from said hopper, said first means moving the card past the end. of said spring before retraction of the first means, a reciprocating plunger adapted to engage said card and depress it into said trough whereby the card is formed into channel shape, said trough having overhanging means to engage the upper edges of the sides of the card while in channel shape to prevent retraction of the card with the plunger as it is retracted, means for engaging said card after it is formed channel shape and moving it into a pocket of a pocket conveyor, and side plates twisted toward each other and engaging the sides of the channel card to bend such sides inwardly at an angle relative to the body of the card as the card is moved from the trough to the pocket.

OSCAR. SANDBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date,

705,206 Carrier July 22, 1902 2,002,616 Ritscher May 28, 1935 1,614,960 Johnson et al Jan. 18, 1927 542,660 Saltzkorn et a1. July 16, 1895 849,655 Billman Apr. 9,, 1907 

